Weather Matters…Attempt to Shelter Grounds General Cargo Vessel

The 108-meter general cargo vessel CDRY Blue is reportedly aground off the Southwest coast of Sardinia in the Mediterranean.  Departing Cagliari with a load of coffee, they attempted to shelter in the Sant’ Antioco area.  Recently posted video (December 21st) of the vessel on social media shows her hard aground on cliffs.  The 12 crew on board have said to be safely evacuated.  The same video shows that these were all likely conducted by helicopter rescue, although rescue workers are shown on the adjacent cliffs as well.

With wind and seas in the area forecast today to be westerly at 35 knots with a 5-5.5 meter sea, initial salvage response for CDRY Blue is expected to be delayed.

Weather does matter – take a look at some of the resources available here.  To find out more about what your company or vessel officers might do to avoid heavy weather, perhaps a course such as MITAGS Heavy Weather Avoidance might be of use.

Let’s be safe out there!